Ejectable tail unit for the propelling launching charge of a projectile which is loaded through the muzzle of the firing means



ING

J. R. JASSE T FOR THE PROPELLING LAUNCH CTILE WHICH IS LOADED THROUGHFiled June 25, 1962 THE MUZZLE OF THE FIRING MEANS EJECTABLE TAIL UNICHARGE OF A PROJE Feb. 4, 1964 United States Patent 3,120,151 EJECTABLETAIL UNlT FOR TIE PRGPELLHQG LAUNCHIING CHARGE OF A PRUJEQTKLE WHICH ISLQADED THROUGH THE MUZZLE OF THE FNG MEANS Joseph Raymond .lasse, Paris,France, assignor to Hatchkiss-Brandt, Paris, France, a body corporate ofFrance Filed June 25, 1962, Ser. No. 204,743 Claims priority,application France July 3, 1961 4 Claims. (Cl. 81)

The present invention relates to propelling launching charges forprojectiles which are loaded through the muzzle of the gun tube or otherlaunching means.

in some of these projectiles the launching charge is disposed in a taildirectly fixed to the base of the projectile, but in respect ofrelatively large calibre projectiles oi relatively great length, theoverall length of the projectile and tail does not permit the easyintroduction of a projectile and tail assembly in one go in thelaunching tube. For such projectiles it has therefore been proposed todispose the propelling launching charge in a support which isindependent of the projectile, adapted to be placed in the launchingtube before the projectile is placed therein and so arranged that whenthe projectile is launched it is ejected a 'few metres away from thelaunching tube irrespective of the propelling charge; this permitsintroducing in the launching tube another propelling charge and anotherprojectile immediately after firing.

Attempts have been made to achieve ejection of the independent supportby providing it with surfaces so arranged as to cause the support to bedriven by the pressure and the blast of the gases generated by theprojectile launching powder charge, but this solution has a drawback inthat the distance at which the support is ejected varies to a markedextent as a function of the launching charge.

The object of the invention is to avoid this drawback and provides animproved ejectable tail unit for the launching charge of a projectileloaded through the muzzle of the launching means, said unit avoiding theaforementioned drawbacks and being provided with a small jet propellingmeans incorporated therein, said jet propelling means being so adaptedthat its self propelling charge is ignited by the launching charge.

By means of said propelling means the distance at which the tail unit isejected remains constarit.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the ensuing description, with reference to the accompanying drawingto which the invention is in no way limited.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view on a small scale of the interior of thelaunching tube and of the projectile and independent tail unit having apropelling means according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of said tail unit with itslaunching charge, and

FIG. 3 is an end elevational View of the forward guide device of saidtail unit.

The invention shown in FIG. 1 concerns the launchingby means of a tube Tprovided at its rear end with a. breech C and an ignition percussion pinaorf a projectile P which could be of the shell type or, as shown, aself-propelling projectile whose self-propelling charge is ignitedthrough a rear obturating and igniting device b which is ejected afterignition. The launching of the projectile is obtained by means of anindependent tail unit comprising a propelling charge L disposed within asupport S, said charge also insuring the ignition of the self-propellingcharge through the device b if the projectile is of the self-propellingtype.

The support S comprises (FIG. 2) in the known man- "ice ner a tube 1 therear of which is fixed to a base 2 carrying :at its centre a smallfining pin 3 adapted to be actuated by the percussion pin a so as toignite through the medium of a primer (not shown) the charge L of acartridge, the gases of this charge issuing from the tube 1 throughapertures 4 formed in said tube after having perforated the wall of thecartridge.

{it the forward end, the tube 1 is fixed by a screw thread 5 to the rearof a body 6 which latter is threadedly engaged by a screw thread 7 on atube it freely surrounding, in the presently-described embodiment, theobturating and igniting device b for the self-propelling charge whoseignition is obtained by means of the buming gases of the launchingcharge L, said gases entering the tube 8 by way of the apertures 9.

The body 6 is provided at its forward end with a blind hole or cavitylit in which is disposed the powder charge 11 of a small jet propellingmeans adapted to eject the tube 7 from the support S. This charge isignited by the burning gases of the launching charge L which enter thehole or cavity lit by way of small ejection nozzles 12.

The support S is completed by two guide elements one of which isprovided at '13 at the forward end and the other at M at the rear end.Each of said guide elements consists of a suitably bent metal strip FIG.3) having at 15 faces which bear against the inner face of the tube T,this strip being secured by a number of spot welds 16 to the forwardtube 8 or to the rear base 2.

The tail unit according to the invention operates in a manner which willbe clear from the foregoing.

Before launching or firing the projectile, there is placed in the gun orlaunching tube T through the muzzle of the latter, first the tail unitcomprising the support S with its propelling charge L, if desiredsuitably completed by one or a plurality of relay charges placed on thetube 1. The support S drops through the gun tube while it is guided bythe guide elements 13 and 14 and its rear face 17 abuts the forward faceof the breech C.

The projectile P is then placed in the tube and abuts the forward face18 of the support S.

When the percussion mechanism a of the breech C is actuated, the smallfiring pin 3 is struck thereby and ignites the primer of the cartridgeL. The powder contained in this cartridge ignites and the gases of thepowder issuing from the apertures 4 in the tubular tail 1 ignite theadditional charge or charges, if provided, and enter the cavity ltlviathe ejection apertures 12 where they ignite the small self-propellingcharge ll of the support 3; if the projectile P is of theself-propelling type another part of the burning gases enters theprojectile through the apertures 9 and the obturating and ignitingdevice b so as to ignite the self-propelling charge of the projectile.

As concerns the support S, the gases resulting from the ignition of thecharge 11 create ejection jets which issue through the nozzles 12 inoblique rearward directions so that the support S is ejected byself-propulsion.

Thus, by suitably selecting the charge l l it is possible to obtain adistance at which the support S is ejected which is practicallyindependent of the propelling charge L and is for example about 15 to 20in.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, manymodifications and changes may be made therein without departing from thescope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having now described my invention What I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. Ejectable tail unit for launching a projectile, the tail unit beingunattached to the projectile and adapted to assume a position at therear of the projectile in the projectile launching gun tube andcomprising: a hollow support, a projectile launching charge disposedwithin the support, apertures provided in the support and putting thelaunching charge in communication with the exterior of the tail unit forthe free passage of the projectile launching gases from the launchingcharge into the gun tube; a jet propelling device carried by the supportand provided for ejecting the support from the launching gun tube, thejet propelling device comprising means defining a chamber, a propellantcharge disposed in the chamber, and rearwardly directed gas ejectionnozzle means putting the interior of the chamber in communication Withthe exterior of the tail unit; and means defining a passageway puttingthe launching charge in communication with the interior of the chamber,whereby when the launching charge is ignited for launching theprojectile the burning gases from the launching charge ignite thepropellant charge by way of said passageway and the jet propellingdevice ejects the support from the gun tube.

2. Ejectable tail unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supportcomprises a forward guide means and a rear guide means, each guide meanshaving a plurality of localized bearing faces and recessed portionsinterposed between the beming faces, said bearing faces being containedin a cylindrical plane coaxial with the support and adapted to slidealong the inner face of the gun tube whereby the tail unit is supportedin coaxial relation to the gun tube.

3. Ejectable tail unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jet propellingdevice is located forward of the launching charge.

4. Ejectable tail unit for launching a projectile, the tail unit beingunattached to the projectile and adapted to assume a position at therear of the projectile in the projectile launching gun tube andcomprising: a tubular support, a projectile launching charge disposedWithin the suppont, lateral apertures provided in the support andputting the launching charge in communication with the exterior of thetail unit for the free lateral passage of the projectile launching gasesfrom the launching charge into the gun tube; a jet propelling devicecarried by the support and provided for ejecting the support from thelaunching gun tube, the jet propelling device being located forward ofthe launching charge and comprising means defining a chamber, apropelled charge disposed in the chamber, and rearwardly directed gasejection nozzle means putting the interior of the chamber incommunication with the exterior of the tail unit; whereby when thelaunching charge is ignited for launching the projectile the burninggases from the launching charge issue lateral- 13 from said apertures,launch the projectile and also enter said chamber through said nozzlemeans and ignite the propellant charge whereupon the burning gases fromthe propellant charge issue from said nozzle means and eject the tailunit from the gun tube.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,657,630 Blacker Nov. 3, 1953 2,821,923 Alderso-n Feb. 4, 19582,944,486 Iasse July 12, 1960 3,038,382 Noyes June 12, 1962 3,056,351Bares Oct. 2, 1962

1. EJECTABLE TAIL UNIT FOR LAUNCHING A PROJECTILE, THE TAIL UNIT BEINGUNATTACHED TO THE PROJECTILE AND ADAPTED TO ASSUME A POSITION AT THEREAR OF THE PROJECTILE IN THE PROJECTILE LAUNCHING GUN TUBE ANDCOMPRISING: A HOLLOW SUPPORT, A PROJECTILE LAUNCHING CHARGE DISPOSEDWITHIN THE SUPPORT, APERTURES PROVIDED IN THE SUPPORT AND PUTTING THELAUNCHING CHARGE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE EXTERIOR OF THE TAIL UNIT FORTHE FREE PASSAGE OF THE PROJECTILE LAUNCHING GASES FROM THE LAUNCHINGCHARGE INTO THE GUN TUBE; A JET PROPELLING DEVICE CARRIED BY THE SUPPORTAND PROVIDED FOR EJECTING THE SUPPORT FROM THE LAUNCHING GUN TUBE, THEJET PROPELLING DEVICE COMPRISING MEANS DEFINING A CHAMBER, A PROPELLANTCHARGE DISPOSED IN THE CHAMBER, AND REARWARDLY DIRECTED GAS EJECTIONNOZZLE MEANS PUTTING THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER IN COMMUNICATION WITHTHE EXTERIOR OF THE TAIL UNIT; AND MEANS DEFINING A PASSAGEWAY PUTTINGTHE LAUNCHING CHARGE IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE CHAMBER,WHEREBY WHEN THE LAUNCHING CHARGE IS IGNITED FOR LAUNCHING THEPROJECTILE THE BURNING GASES FROM THE LAUNCHING CHARGE IGNITE THEPROPELLANT CHARGE BY WAY OF SAID PASSAGEWAY AND THE JET PROPELLINGDEVICE EJECTS THE SUPPORT FROM THE GUN TUBE.